Just Classmates (And Nothing More)
by Madin456
Summary: School!AU. There was once a time when the boy who sat in front of you wore bright, neon colours. There was once a time when he was friendly to everyone in his class and smiled often. Now, he dresses only in black. Now, he has a frown forever plastered on his face. Now, you're not so sure you even know him anymore. NicoxReader. Full summary inside.


**Summary:** School!AU. There was once a time when the boy who sat in front of you wore bright, neon colours. There was once a time when he was friendly to everyone in his class and smiled often. Now, he dresses only in black. Now, he has a frown forever plastered on his face. Now, you're not so sure you even know him anymore. / Half a year ago is when Nico di Angelo was still a bright and happy person. Half a year ago is when he was willing to lend you pencils whenever you lost yours. Half a year ago is the time you want to go back to. NicoxReader.

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Percy Jackson and the Olympians. **_

Just Classmates (And Nothing More)

**i. classmates**

You ask him to borrow a pencil a lot.

He sits in front of you in English class, his neon orange shirt standing out effortlessly in a room full of dull colours. He is the quiet type, only answering questions and participating in class discussions when the teacher calls on him.

Every day, constant _tap tap tap_ sounds come from his desk as the boy drums his fingers softly on the hard wood. It's a habit of his that you've noticed early on in the school year and while it can sometimes get annoying—because you're actually trying to listen to the lesson and the noises are distracting—you find yourself subconsciously tapping sounds back at other times, as if to create a conversation with only fingernails against wood. And he would always turn around and give you one of his heart-warming smiles.

Nico di Angelo, the boy who sits in front of you in English class, you think to yourself, is someone you would really like to get to know.

It's the morning of the Monday of the second week of school and you are sitting in your seat, waiting for the bell that indicates the start of first period to ring. Unzipping your pencil case, you notice that once again, just like last week, you forgot to pack your pencil and bring it to school.

In the doorway, Nico comes into sight as he walks into the classroom and sits down in front of you. He then proceeds to do the same thing you did earlier—take out the utensils he needs—but, unlike last week, he does not simply place them on his desk. Instead, he whirls around in his seat and grins at you, holding up a bright red pencil and hands it to you.

"For you, since you always ask to borrow a pencil," he says, grinning. "I brought a bunch of extras today, so if you need more, just ask."

That is when your gaze drops to the boy's hand and notices that Nico's pencil case is a lot fuller than it had been a few days ago.

He turns back around just as the other students pile in and the teacher begins the lesson. This time, when you find yourself unable to pay attention, it is not because of the tapping sound coming from Nico's desk, but because the boy brought extra pencils _just for you_ and you are trying hard to suppress the smile that threatens to take over your entire face.

**ii. loss**

The cheetah, the fastest animal in the world, moves at 389 kilometres per hour. The Helios 1 space probe launched by NASA is the fastest man-made object, moving at more than 22000 kilometres per hour. And the rate at which you lose things is faster than both the cheetah and Helios combined.

You stare at the space where you could've sworn you put your pencil case and frowned. Where could it have gone? How is it possible to be so forgetful? Not that there is anything of importance inside—just some erasers, some pens, white-out, and—oh—_the pencil that Nico lent you._

Panic courses through your body. Losing your own pencils is okay; losing _someone else's_ pencil is not.

You search in the classroom, but only come up with a few eraser pieces. You search in your locker, but it is painstakingly clean for anything to get lost in there. And, heck, you even search out in the field because you're that desperate, but, as expected, it is not there. You search and search and search until—

The bell rings at four o'clock and you're forced to go home empty-handed.

And tomorrow, you'll have to confess everything to Nico and try to make it up to him—somehow—and ask him to forgive you.

But tomorrow is the day everything will change for the boy who sits in front of you in class.

**iii. change**

You are surprised to see Nico di Angelo the next day, wearing all black instead of his usual neon-coloured shirts. You are surprised to see that the boy, who has maintained an A-average all throughout the year, has dark circles starting to develop under his eyes, like the other students who spend every minute of the day playing video games.

You are surprised because he now has a dark aura around him and you're not sure that you know him anymore.

As the days pass by, the classroom is suddenly too quiet. Gone is the rhythmic drumming that used to be a constant thing coming from the seat in front of you. Gone are the frequent half-smiles that the dark-haired boy used to send your way every once in a while. You are force to welcome an unbearably silence that settles in the tense atmosphere, waiting for this phase to pass, and knowing deep down that it might be here to stay forever.

Something is happening to Nico di Angelo. Something is happening to Nico di Angelo and you are there to witness every subtle change in him; watch every one of his actions become dull; notice his smiles become rarer and rarer until they fade away all together; observe that with every look he sends someone, a glare follows shortly after.

Something is happening to Nico di Angelo and you don't do anything about it.

**iv. just classmates**

You never ask him to borrow a pencil anymore.

He sits in front of you in English class, but sometimes, you don't notice him at all. He wears dull colours—black, grey, brown—and he blends into the background so easily that you don't even see him getting out of his seat to go to the bathroom until he is already gone. He never turns around to flash one of his smiles that brightened your day and the periodic tapping of fingernails against hard wood that you've grown accustomed to is never to be heard again.

On a good day, he might hand you the eraser that you drop on the ground with a stoic face and quick gestures that would otherwise be labelled as rude—but at least it is something. On a bad day, he scowls, a frown permanently planted over the curve of his lips and he looks at the world through narrow, almost cynical, eyes. Between prolonged silences and soft breathes, you wonder if you should still ask him to be your partner for the next project.

After all, Nico di Angelo, the boy who sits in front of you in English class, you think to yourself, is not the same boy who used to lend you pencils.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** This is basically what I came up with when I was trying to show the changes in Nico if he were a normal teenager at school instead of a demigod. It sort of turned out shorter than expected, and the events of his changes were less gradual than I'd have liked, but I hope I still got the message across? I have no idea if this worked or not. Let's just say this is an experiment. XD

Also, I have a Tumblr, if you'd like to check that out. Link is on my profile!

~Madin456.


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